Penstemon plant named ‘TNPENDB’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant characterized by glossy, dark purple leaves, lavender to violet flowers, short, compact, upright, well branched habit, attractive deep purple seed heads, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Penstemon hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘TNPENDB’.

Trademark designation: Dakota™ Burgundy

Cross Reference to: Penstemon digitalis ‘TNPENDV’, U.S. Plant patentapplication Ser. No. 15/932,827

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPenstemon, given the name, ‘TNPENDB’. Penstemon is in the familyPlantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae). This plant originated in acontrolled breeding plan to create a compact series with good flowering.The parents are unknown, unnamed proprietary plants. This cultivar wasselected for its dark purple foliage, short habit, lavender to violetflowers, hardiness, and vigor. It is an ideal plant for a sunny borderin full sun.

Compared to plants of Penstemon digitalis, an unpatented plant, the newcultivar is shorter and more compact, flowers are more lavender toviolet rather than white and foliage color that is tinted purple withwinter temperatures rather than green.

Compared to plants of Penstemon ‘Mystica’, an unpatented seed strain,the new cultivar is shorter and more compact, flowers are more lavenderto violet than white.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Dark Towers’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 20,013, the newcultivar has a shorter and more compact habit, flowers are more lavenderto violet rather than pink.

Compared to Penstemon ‘TNPENDV’, U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.15/932,827, the new cultivar has dark purple leaves instead of greenleaves.

Penstemon ‘TNPENDB’ is uniquely distinguished by its:

-   -   1. glossy, dark purple leaves,    -   2. lavender to violet flowers,    -   3. short, compact, upright, well branched habit    -   4. attractive deep purple seed heads, and    -   5. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby,Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions cometrue to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the habit of an eight-month-old plant in the trial field inAugust in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 is a close-up of flowers showing tube Purple Violet N81A with beetracks Purple Violet N81A.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon cultivarbased on observations of nine-month-old specimens grown outside in thetrial field in full sun in Canby, Oreg. in October. Canby is Zone 8 onthe USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. inAugust to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition, 2007.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Form.—Upright, basal clump, up to 7 leafy flowering stems            from base.        -   Size.—Grows to 45 cm wide and 55 cm high to top of            inflorescence.        -   Crown count.—13.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and a few            laterals, ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop            easily from cuttings from the crown.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 3-8.-   Leaf (basal):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Arrangement.—Rosette.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Margins.—Serrulate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 23 cm long and 4.1 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—Both sides glabrous.        -   Petiole.—Petiole clasping to 9.5 cm long and 4 mm wide,            Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Leaf color.—Topside Yellow Green 147A at base blending to            Greyed Purple N186A with veins Greyed Purple N186C, bottom            side Green 137B at base blending to Greyed Purple N186A            blotched with Green 137B, veins Greyed Purple N186C.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Habit.—Upright.        -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, main vein on top Greyed Purple N186C,            bottom side Greyed Purple N186C.        -   Margins.—Serrate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 10.4 cm long and 3.3 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both sides.        -   Petiole.—None, sessile.        -   Leaf color.—Topside Greyed Purple N186A, bottom side between            Greyed Purple N187A and Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Stem.—Upright, up to 31 cm long and to 6mm (at the base),            glabrous at base to glandular pubescent toward rachis,            internodes grow to 9.5 cm long, Greyed Purple 187A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Terminal, many flowered, loose thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—50 to 100.        -   Rachis size.—Grows to 12 cm long and 10 mm wide, sparsely            pubescent, Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 6 cm long and 2.5 mm wide, pubescent,            Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Pedicels.—Grows to 5 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent,            Greyed Purple 187A.        -   Bloom period.—June to frost in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—1.9 cm long and to 5 mm wide.        -   Description.—Closed tubular.        -   Color.—Topside Greyed Purple 187C, bottom side White 155C.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—Zygomorphic, perfect.        -   Shape.—Tubular, bilabiate.        -   Size.—Grows to 3.3 cm long and 1.5 cm wide.        -   Corolla description.—Grows to 3 cm long and 1.5 cm wide;            tube is bulbous in the calyx for 5 mm long and 4 mm wide,            narrowing then widening for 2.3 cm and flaring to 1.5 cm            wide, 5 lobes, the two smaller top lobes flare back (each 5            mm wide and to 6 mm deep) and two larger lateral lobes curl            back slightly (10 mm wide and 10 mm deep), and the lower            lobe flares curls back slightly (7 mm wide and 6 mm deep),            lobe margins entire, tips acute; outside glandular            pubescent, inside sparsely pubescent; outside color bulbous            section Purple Violet N81B on top, Violet 85D bottom, inside            color lobes and bulbous section Purple Violet N81C, tube            Purple Violet N81A with bee tracks Purple Violet N81A.        -   Calyx description.—5 mm deep and 5 mm wide, 5 lobes, each            lobe ovate in shape, 4 mm long and 4 mm wide, margins            entire, tip acuminate, base cuneate, both sides between            Greyed Purple N187A and Greyed Purple 187A, both sides            pubescent.        -   Pistil description.—1, 2.7 cm long, ovary 7 mm long and 2 mm            wide, Greyed Purple 187B; style 2 cm long and less than 1 mm            wide, style Greyed Orange N170 D, stigma White NN155C.        -   Stamen description.—5, one sterile without an anther, held            within the corolla, filament 20 mm long and Purple Violet            N81C, fertile anthers 2 mm long, Brown N200B, filaments 22            mm long, Purple Violet N81C.        -   Pollen.—Scarce to moderate, White NN155C.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Lastingness.—A flower lasts 5 to 6 days.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—Capsule.        -   Fertility.—Fair.        -   Size.—10 mm deep and 6 mm wide.        -   Shape.—Conical.        -   Color.—Greyed Purple 187A.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—Irregular.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black 202A.-   Pests and diseases: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No    problems have been found in Canby, Oreg.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Penstemon plant substantiallyas illustrated and described herein.